Experiences

March 30, 2009

The Working World

Over Spring Break, I set out in search of a summer job at several golf courses. This was the first time I’ve ever looked for a job, and I was completely nervous before heading out. I didn’t really know what to expect, but figured the process wouldn’t be overly complicated. A lot of my friends already have jobs or have worked before, and my parents have pressured me before to get a job, so I decided to go for it. I decided on working at a golf course because I enjoy playing golf and working at a golf course would give me benefits, such as free driving range tokens and free rounds of golf.

I went over to Thorncreek Golf Course and walked inside. A little jittery, I went to the manager’s office and asked for the manger. He walked out and greeted me, asking me, “How can I help you?”

“I’m looking for a summer job,” I replied.

“Well, Marty takes care of the cart barn downstairs and new employees so I’ll take you to him,” he said.

He led me over to the next room where a gruff looking man of around 60 was chatting with a friend. “Marty, we’ve got a young man here looking for a job,” said the manager.

Marty smiled and greeted me, saying, “Hello, I’m Marty.”

I quickly pulled out my résumé and handed it to him. He looked it over and complimented its contents. I sat for a few awkward moments waiting for him to say something. He got up eventually and retrieved an employee packet. I quickly filled it out and handed it back. I asked him, “So have there been a lot of applicants?”

He replied, “We have eight positions in the cart barn, and seven are taken for sure right now but we have one girl that might move to the beverage cart position. So if she does do that, then the cart barn position will be open and you can take that. Most likely, she’ll take the beverage cart position. You’ve got a good chance anyway, you play golf already and we look for kids that play golf.”

These words gave me a confidence boost I sorely needed. Up to that point, the whole experience had been a rush and I didn’t know what I was feeling. Marty got up and offered his hand. I quickly stood up and shook his hand vigorously. “I’ll give you a call later this week if this position is open, then you’ll have to fill out some more paperwork. Thanks for coming in Justin,” he said.

“Thanks Marty, I’ll see you later!” I replied.

The next golf course was Broadlands, and I really wanted to work there because of its proximity to my house. I strode to the manager’s office once again and asked for the manager. He was a little surprised and said, “Yes, what can I do for you?”

“I’m looking for a summer job, and here’s my résumé,” I said.

He took it and quickly scanned it. “Ok, this looks good and we’ll give you a call later this week,” he curtly stated. He seemed uninterested in me from his body language and tone.

“Ok,” I said.

He turned around and went back into his office as I walked out of the front door.

Discouraged from my rejection, I headed over to Colorado National Golf Club, formerly known as Vista Ridge, which was a twenty minute drive. I approached the front desk and asked for the manager. Once again, I found the manager on the first try. He smiled and said, “What can I do for you?”

“I’m looking for a summer job, and here’s my résumé,” I said.

“Wow, this looks great!” he cried. “Well, here’s a new employee packet you can fill out.”

I took the packet over to a table and filled it out in 10 minutes. He took the packet. Curious, I inquired, “Have there been a lot of applicants?”

“No, not really. We just have a couple of kids coming back this summer,” he replied. “We’ll give you a call later this week, ok?”

“Sounds good, see you later,” I said.

I never got a call back from Broadlands and Colorado National, which has brought me to a realization. I figured that my résumé was solid enough for any golf course to accept me and that I would get hired easily since I was asking for a job early. Little did I know that obtaining a job relies on more than what the applicant brings. The employer has to want employees before accepting applicants, which Broadlands Golf Course and Colorado National surely didn’t. I realized that there were probably many other employees that were already hired. I also realized that you’re going to face struggles and rejections when searching for a job, as well as in life. There is no way that someone could get hired at any business they wanted to. Sometimes employers just don’t want more workers. I haven’t faced much failure or rejection in my life, and in my naiveness, I thought that I could get a job at a high-quality golf course like The Colorado National Golf Club. I haven’t become scared away from challenges from this experience, but I’ve learned an important lesson. I’ve learned that it’s fine to ask, ask, ask, because you never know if you’ll get a yes or a no. Everyone fails at some point, so it’s not healthy to be afraid of failure.

February 18, 2009

Eat and Explore

Last Saturday, I went to a Vietnamese restaurant called Pho Duy for dinner. I’m Korean myself, but almost all Koreans love Pho (Vietnamese beef broth and noodle soup). I have some friends that order a large bowl of pho, eat everything inside the bowl, drink all of the soup, and continue to eat more pho afterwards. I’m not that crazy about pho myself; I usually get a meal called Bun Dac Biet, which is a bowl of noodles with beef, chicken, shrimp, and egg rolls along with some greens and sauces, although pho is good as well. I mix in two different sauces: Hoisin sauce, which is almost like an Asian BBQ sauce, and Sriracha, a hot sauce made from red chilis that makes me sweat profusely even in small quantities.  Before last Saturday, I thought that no one other than Asians would ever go to Pho, but I was proven wrong. Over half of Pho Duy’s patrons were white, which made me think twice. I realized that different cultures don’t have to be kept only to their separate races; we can share all of our cultures with each other, and what better way is there to that than to share our foods? Not only did that dinner teach me about sharing cultures, but opening up to other people as well. I haven’t tried Indian food before because I’ve been affected by stereotypes of Indian cuisine. I think that Indian food is all curry and smells bad, but that’s just my tentativeness and foolishness. Just like the Americans tried Vietnamese  food (which they seemed to really enjoy), I want to try Indian food at least once. We should all expand our comfort zones and try something new once in a while. We need to get rid of stereotypes and labels and just try new foods.